Dementia and Communication
As dementia progresses, communication can be challenging for the person living with dementia and their care partner. In the early stages of dementia, you may notice your person having difficulty finding words, often losing the ability to come up with common nouns. They may instead try to describe an object rather than remember the name of it. This is called Circumlocution. It is a way of speaking around the word in an attempt to describe it. In later stages, you may notice they no longer initiate conversations or have difficulty understanding language and following conversations. As the disease continues to destroy the parts of the brain responsible for understanding and expressing language, they may make nonsensical statements often referred to as word salad. All these changes can be frustrating for the person living with dementia and their care partner.
It is important to recognize that there are many ways to communicate, and for the person living with dementia, not all is lost.
As language skills diminish, we can use many strategies to support communication.
Some Strategies include:
Using shorter sentences. Break down your sentences into less words to increase their ability to understand.
Slow down your speech. A slower rate of speech with less words is easier to follow.
Allow extra time for them to process what you have said. In the later stages of the disease, it can take up to 90 seconds to process a simple sentence.
Avoid open-ended questions…..instead of asking “What do you want to do today” offer two choices: “Would you like to go to the beach or the park?”
Use visual cues when possible. An example: “Do you want milk or juice” and hold each item in front of their visual field to help them understand.
Maintain eye contact to demonstrate engagement.
When something is not working, pause and try a different approach. What works one day may not work the next day.
Written by: Susan Raychard, MOTR/L, CDP, PAC Ind. Trainer, Dementia Consultant
For more information or to contact Susan, please visit her website: https://susanraychard-llc.com/
